FILE PHOTO: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt walks toward Air Force One, en route to Geneva, Ohio, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, U.S., August 11, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper/File Photo
A venture capitalist aligned with the Trump administration set off a debate online this week with a plea to senior officials: don't leave your young staffers behind.
The post landed amid a steady run of high-profile departures from Trump's orbit, from press secretary Karoline Leavitt's exit to deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich and deputy press secretary Harrison Fields, who left for a K Street lobbying firm.
In a post on X, Clint Brown, who describes himself as a venture capitalist "investing in critical tech for America" and a former Senate staffer, urged departing senior officials who came from the private sector to help their junior aides land work once the administration ends, and said those who don't will pay a reputational price.
"The anxiety among young staffers about their future employment prospects is palpable," Brown wrote.
He argued the point applies double to those "experiencing economic booms because of this admin," a nod to the record markets Trump touts even as wage growth stalls. "Those of us who came up in politics will never trust you again," he added, noting that "people can only do these jobs so long."
The post drew immediate response across the political spectrum.
Nick Solheim treated it as a serious question, noting that "the 26-year-olds who moved here to staff this administration did it instead of law school, starting a small business, or working on Wall Street." Where they land next, he wrote, "is a question we all should be answering now, not in 2028."
Others were far less sympathetic.
X user Greg McKelvey called the plea "a crafted threat to discourage anyone from participating with the Trump administration wrapped in a pretense of concern." Liberal writer Brian Beutler was harsher, asserting that Trump staffers "know they commit moral and legal crimes everyday, and are worried about accountability." His verdict: "Good."
A pseudonymous account, Dewey, Cheetham & Howe LLP, a fictional law firm that's a pun on "Do we cheat 'em? And how?" mocked the concern outright.
"lol these guys are worried about 'finding employment' post-admin. Buddy, that's going to be the least of your worries," it wrote.